Get Curious, Be Deliberate & Find the Flow

Find your flow and learn to live and work in your zone of genius.

The first time I was introduced to the book, The Big Leap, I couldn’t get through it.  I just didn’t get it.  The next time, about 6 months later, I picked it back up and skipped around in it.  The third time, I couldn’t put it down.  I devoured it.  I was ready.  

One of the key concepts in the book is about what it means to live and work in your zone of genius. Getting curious and getting clear about what I do well, what I don’t do well and what I LOVE and was BORN to do, has been one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever given myself.  Today, if you’re ready, I’m going to invite you to give yourself this gift.  

In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks introduces the concept of our living and being in 4 zones.  

  • Zone of Incompetence: This is the stuff we are NOT good at.  
  • Zone of Competence:  This is the stuff we are good at, but other people could do this just as well as we do.  
  • Zone of Excellence:  This is the place where we shine.  We’re good at stuff here. This is a danger zone. We can get stuck here and people LOVE for us to STAY here because we are predictable here.
  • And then, there’s the Zone of Genius:  This is the stuff that we do well, the stuff we are born to do, the stuff where we lose track of time.  

Get Curious

Take 10 minutes to download, print and fill out this worksheet.  

Get curious about the things you’re doing in your life and in your work.  Place them in the appropriate zones.  Don’t overthink or over-analyze it, just jot down the things you do regularly as they come to mind in each of those different zones.  

Looking at each zone, ask yourself the following questions.  

Zone 1.  What can I delete or delegate from this list?  

Zone 2.  What can I delete or delegate from this list?  

Zone 3.  Which of these things is keeping me playing small?  Which of these things am I ready to walk away from? Which of these things could serve as a development opportunity for someone on my team?

Zone 4.  What are you excited to do more of? Which of the items in there spark fear and excitement at the same time?

Be Deliberate

Looking at your above work, what are you willing to do about it?  

Write down 3 actions you will take to ensure that you are moving closer to spending more time in your zone of genius?  

Find the Flow

Make time this week or this weekend to deliberately engage in activities where you find flow.  Scan your calendar and find the time you need to engage in these activities more frequently.  Schedule it.  Enjoy it!  

What would it mean for your life and your work to spend more time in your zone of genius?  What would it feel like? What impact would it have on YOU?  What impact would it have on those you love?  Those you lead?  Those you serve?

Tell me about it!

I love hearing from readers.  Tell me what you discovered.  Tell me what you’re going to do differently.  Tell me how I can support and help.  Leave a comment below or send me an email.  Schedule a call with me to talk about it.  I can’t wait to hear from you!

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About Whitney Bishop

Whitney Bishop is a Change Agent who creates transformative experiences for leaders who are committed to making a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. She has designed a proven process to help leaders and their teams elevate their questions, create new possibilities and take deliberate action. Are you ready to discover the power of possibility and experience breakthroughs that will help you have greater impact and influence in the world? Let’s talk.